47 BONES

47 Bones is a work that seeks to pass between the unnecessary and the necessary, the perishable and the unperishable, the personal and the impersonal. As part of my ongoing interest in the relationship between my body and that of other animals, I began ‘cleaning’ bones as an act of stripping back layers of personal experience and memory. Formed by a complex internal and external structure, bones are strong, hard and yet lightweight. Likewise, I wanted to construct a sculptural object that retained the intensity of a process whilst revealing a passage to its transcendence.
* 47 Bones was also integrated in an immersive theatre performance I developed with Living Structures and a photo performance with Angela Alegria.

“Absolutely astounding. A complex series of invocations filtered down to one, perfect image.An atmosphere of complete serenity, perfection and peace. Biblical (if you play for that team), intensely human, alive, present, yet elsewhere.” (Michael David Jones)

“47 Bones is a powerful durational performance placing the fragility of the artists living body in visceral proximity to the sculptural solidity of the bones. The artist creates a poetic meditation on the relationship between the human and the animal, the living and the dead.” (Arnolfini, Bristol)

“47 Bones is one of the most affecting pieces I have seen. It is not so much the content of the piece that is so astounding (provoking discussions around The Fall from Grace, Flesh and Bone, Life and Death) it is the clarity with which the work is presented. The piece is simple, highly considered and perfectly conceived. Entering the tall theatre space is like entering a realm of solace. The artist generously allows space for contemplation in the experience of the work.” (Michael David Jones)